WHEN megastars whinge about lack of privacy it is nice to note the words of actor Stephen Beckett who returns to Bolton Octagon shortly.

Stephen, you may recall, was in The Bill and was Dr Matt Ramsden in Coronation Street -- the real father of Maxine's baby.

He is to star, appropriately, in Private Lives, and had some sensible remarks to make about that very subject. "It would be wonderful to be a successful actor who managed to avoid the publicity and press spotlight," he told this newspaper."But I suppose that is the nature of the beast."

Very refreshing.

Actors and actresses get financial and other returns commensurate with the roles they play. So, someone in a top soap, or in Hollywood blockbusters, is well paid indeed.

The implication of such megabucks and high profile roles is publicity. The public want to see and know more about them; this in turn publicises the play/soap/film to make it a "must see."

I don't necessarily think that paparazzi should climb trees and use zoom lenses to catch glimpses of stars frolicking in the privacy of their own homes.

But, if they snog in public -- like Liz Hurley was doing this week with her latest love -- or shove stuff up their nose at a party, then they're fair game.

After all, it is you and I who pay to see them on screen, TV or in the theatre. Part of this particular "contract" implies that some of their lives lie very firmly in the public domain.